Some people in Australia find CBD cream for acne beneficial in clearing their skin. CBD has several effects that make it helpful in managing acne. This skin condition affects individuals of all ages and is characterised by pimple breakouts. In more severe cases, it can cause cysts and nodules. Traditional acne treatments include over-the-counter creams, prescription medications like Accutane and cleansing skincare routines.
CBD cream is a natural way to help manage acne. It’s derived from the cannabis plant but won’t get you high. Many use it topically to help cleanse acne breakouts. It has benefits such as reducing inflammation and regulating sebum production in the skin. Let’s run through the best CBD cream for acne in Australia. We’ll also run through its benefits for clearer skin and how it can be incorporated into your skincare routine today.
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Benefits of CBD Cream for Acne
Acne is fundamentally caused by inflammation, which is why CBD is effective at combatting it. CBD has potent anti-inflammatory properties for the skin, which help to reduce the redness and inflammation associated with acne. Additionally, it helps to replenish and calm the skin’s layers. It works on the skin’s cannabinoid receptors, activating pathways that soothe sensitive skin and promote a healthy, balanced complexion. Let’s review some of the key benefits of using CBD cream or other CBD topicals for acne.
Sebum Regulation
Due to the skin containing a large quantity of CB2 cannabinoid receptors, it can effectively absorb and use cannabinoids like CBD. One of the effects CBD stimulates is balancing skin hormones and oils. Specifically, it helps to regulate sebum production, the skin’s natural oil. Excess sebum production is a common contributor to acne. When too much sebum is produced, it clogs pores and worsens pimples. Preventing this by keeping sebum in check is an excellent way for CBD to help clear up acne. Best of all, CBD creams or oil won’t dry out the skin or irritate it. It’s now hugely popular in Australia for these skincare purposes.
Numerous studies have been conducted to examine the effects of CBD topicals and their ability to mitigate acne signs. These studies have primarily focused on CBD’s ability to inhibit the underlying inflammatory factors that trigger acne. Excess sebum buildup and inflammation are often the result of hormone changes or bacteria. One study demonstrated these effects. It showed that CBD cream helped lower oil production in the skin and returned it to a normal range for subjects with acne symptoms. In other reviews, CBD has displayed anti-inflammatory properties on human skin cells in vitro. Such findings suggest that CBD cream could be a promising future acne remedy. Additionally, the studies emphasised that CBD topicals were very well tolerated. They did not cause redness, blemishes or irritations like many pharmaceutical acne treatments.
Hormonal Acne
For many, CBD cream for acne is best targeted at certain times of the month or year. Often, acne breakouts are the result of hormone changes or imbalances. This is known as hormonal acne. It can be triggered by factors such as pregnancy, menopause, puberty, or even certain gland diseases. Hormonal acne often surfaces on the jawline. It can cause nodules around the jaw structure, resulting in ingrown hairs or painful pimples. For men, it also makes shaving a challenge in many instances.
It needs to be fully clear whether products like CBD cream help with hormonal acne. Hormones are very complex. Changes in them often are the result of many interrelated factors. This makes it hard to know whether CBD will offer any benefit in clearing hormonal acne. The research on this topic is very scarce. Some women, in particular, have reported positive results in using CBD for PMS or menopause acne. But these success stories could easily be the product helping with sebum production and unclogging pores, which often worsens acne. CBD cream is worth trying for hormonal acne. However, it shouldn’t be viewed as a reliable treatment.
Cystic Acne
Cystic acne develops beneath the skin’s surface, making it more challenging to treat using topical medications. Often, acne drugs are prescribed to help deal with it. For instance, dermatologists frequently prescribe Isotretinoin or accutane to shrink cysts—these work by reducing the output of oil glands and drying up sebum.
Although CBD cream has shown promising results for mild acne types, it appears less useful for cysts. To achieve results for clearing cysts, CBD alone is rarely enough. Often, it is used with other medications, such as anti-androgens. But be careful here. CBD can interact adversely with many medications. Only combine something with CBD once you speak to a doctor. Most of the research on CBD for acne has focused on its topical use. However, few studies have looked at whether it’s good at helping with cystic acne, unfortunately.
Facial Acne
CBD cream for acne can be used on any area of the skin. Today, CBD facial serums or ointments are explicitly designed to help reduce acne symptoms. These serums are often infused with other helpful non-comedogenic moisturising agents. Using them gently on the face is an excellent way to help cleanse the skin, clear pores and lower skin inflammation. Doing so removes the conditions that cause acne to worsen. The same can be done for acne on the body. CBD bodywashes, soaps, or CBD balms are now available to work to reduce bacterial activity and help defend the skin from breakouts. CBD has anti-microbial and anti-bacterial effects that naturally work to prevent acne conditions. Daily CBD soap wash is an excellent method to avoid facial or bodily acne.
How Does CBD Work for Acne?
CBD creams contain high levels of CBD as an active ingredient. This cannabinoid works to alleviate the redness and swelling associated with acne lesions, providing a calming effect on the skin.
CBD works for acne by its anti-proliferative effects. The proliferation of keratinocytes, a type of skin cell, can clog the pores and contribute to acne formation. CBD creams mitigate acne by preventing the excessive growth and accumulation of these cells in the hair follicles. They help keep the pores clear, reducing the likelihood of pimple outbreaks.
CBD also exhibits anti-bacterial and antifungal properties, which can help reduce the number of bacteria on the skin’s surface. Of particular importance is minimising the proliferation of the Propionibacterium acnes bacteria. This is what acne is named after. It thrives on oily skin. Reducing excess sebum is a primary way CBD helps prevent acne.
Stress is known to worsen acne. Calming the mind by using CBD helps counteract skin breakouts. The body’s response to stress includes the release of cortisol, which can increase oil production in the skin, leading to more acne. CBD reduces anxiety and stress, which can, in turn, help decrease the severity of acne.
Can CBD Help with Acne Scars?
More severe acne cases often leave pits or scars on the skin’s surface. This is particularly common for cystic acne cases due to the size of cysts under the skin’s surface. A study from a dermatology journal explored how CBD cream could treat scars from psoriasis and dermatitis. Subjects used a CBD-infused balm twice daily on their skin’s damaged areas for several months. The researchers discovered that the CBD ointment improved the skin’s appearance by increasing suppleness and moisture. It worked to limit a balanced complexion but didn’t entirely clear scarring. It’s a good sign that CBD topicals help promote skin healing factors. In turn, the appearance of acne scars can be lowered.
What’s the Best CBD Cream for Acne in Australia?
Finding a CBD cream for acne in Australia is pretty straightforward. There is a very wide variety of CBD topicals on the market today. Not all are made equal, though. The quality of different offerings can vary considerably. There are a few ways to know if a CBD topical is well made versus poor quality.
Check the source of the hemp used to make the CBD cream. Look for CBD topicals in Australia made from organically grown hemp to avoid contaminants like pesticides that can harm your skin. These often contaminate low-quality, cheap CBD topicals.
Another vital factor to consider is the type of CBD in the cream. Full-spectrum CBD cream contains all the cannabinoids found in cannabis, while CBD isolate is pure CBD without other cannabinoids or plant compounds. Most people prefer full-spectrum formulations. The terpenes they contain amplify the effects of CBD in clearing acne. Many are also anti-bacterial, helping to clean the skin and keep it acne-free.
Verifying CBD Topical Quality
The concentration of CBD in the cream can also affect its efficacy. Find products that specify the amount of CBD in milligrams on the label. Ensure you are getting a sufficient dose from your topical.
When shopping for CBD ointments or creams, ensure you confirm they contain no irritating ingredients. The ingredient list needs to be consulted. Seek products with helpful ingredients that assist acne-prone skin, such as salicylic acid, niacinamide, or tea tree oil. Avoid anything that has pore-clogging synthetic compounds in it. These will worsen your acne, cause breakouts, or cause skin inflammation. Oil-based creams are usually the worst culprits here. Opt for water-based emollients or CBD-infused gels.
When choosing a product, it is also recommended to look for CBD creams that have undergone third-party lab testing. These tests verify the CBD content and ensure that the product is free from harmful levels of contaminants like heavy metals, pesticides, and microbial impurities. Proper packaging, like airless pumps, can also prevent the contamination of the product and ensure the stability of CBD, which can degrade when exposed to air and light.
How to Use CBD Cream for Acne
You don’t need much CBD cream for acne cleansing per application. Use a conservative amount. A fingernail-sized blob of cream is usually enough. However, larger skin areas may require additional quantity. It’s important to understand that CBD cream has few official guidelines on dosage for effective acne relief. Nevertheless, various CBD skincare products exist today, including cleansers, oils, ointments, and CBD balms. You will indeed find a product type and formulation that fits your requirements.
Adding CBD cream to your daily skin protocol is an excellent way to use CBD cream. Use it after you’ve cleansed and hydrated your skin. It works as an additional layer of defence and cleansing for pimples. Alternatively, you can add some CBD drops to your daily cleansing creams.
Conclusion
The popularity of CBD cream for acne in Australia has certainly gained momentum. Increasingly, it’s being viewed as an excellent natural alternative for managing acne. Compared to acne drugs like Accutane, its side effect risks are very minimal. Yet its benefits for clearer skin can’t be understated. CBD cream is rich in anti-inflammatory, sebum-regulating and anti-bacterial agents.
These help improve skin complexion and reduce acne breakouts. While research is still ongoing, the results from initial studies show that CBD cream may significantly benefit acne-prone skin. However, it’s important to note that individual results may vary, and it’s crucial to incorporate CBD cream into a comprehensive skincare plan that’s tailored to your specific needs and skin type. Seeking guidance from a dermatologist or skincare professional can also help you determine the best way to incorporate CBD cream into your acne management strategy.
References
- Cohen, G., Jakus, J., Baroud, S., Gvirtz, R. and Rozenblat, S. (2023). Development of an Effective Acne Treatment Based on CBD and Herbal Extracts: Preliminary In Vitro, Ex Vivo, and Clinical Evaluation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, [online] 2023, p.e4474255. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37101713/#:~:text=Recent%20studies%20have%20found%20that,factors%20while%20minimizing%20side%20effects.
- Peyravian, N., Deo, S., Daunert, S. and Jimenez, J.J. (2022). The Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Cannabidiol (CBD) on Acne. Journal of Inflammation Research, Volume 15, pp.2795–2801. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9078861/
- Ferreira, I., Lopes, C.M. and Amaral, M.H. (2024). Treatment Advances for Acne Vulgaris: The Scientific Role of Cannabinoids. Cosmetics, [online] 11(1), p.22. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9284/11/1/22
- Cohen, G., Jakus, J., Baroud, S., Gvirtz, R. and Rozenblat, S. (2023b). Development of an Effective Acne Treatment Based on CBD and Herbal Extracts: Preliminary In Vitro, Ex Vivo, and Clinical Evaluation. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, [online] 2023, p.e4474255. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10125735/
- Greatist. (2023). CBD for Acne: How It Works, Side Effects, and Safety. [online] Available at: https://greatist.com/health/cbd-for-acne.
- Spa, K.M. (2021). Can CBD Improve Acne? A Plastic Surgeon Weighs In. [online] Kalos Medical Spa. Available at: https://www.kalosmedicalspa.com/can-cbd-improve-acne/